John Solomon Fullmer (1807-1883)
}} Biography From 1838-1840 John lived in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee; from 1841-1846 he lived in Nauvoo, Hancock, County, Illinois; from 1848-1856 he lived in Salt Lake City, Utah; from 1857-1860 he lived in Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah; from 1861-1878 he lived in Springville, Utah, Utah. Early Years John was born July 21 1807 in Huntington, Luzerne, Pennsylvania, to Peter Fullmer (1774-1857) and Susannah Zerfass (1773-1856). In 1830, his father's family moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio. In the spring of 1832 John S. left the family to go to Nashville, Tennessee where he intended to study for the Ministry of the Baptist Church. He later changed his mind about becoming a minister as he felt himself incapable of filling such a position. Conversion to Mormonism John was baptized July 29 1839 and rebaptized October 11 1879. He received his Patriarchal-Blessing May 29 1841 by Hyrum Smith. He received his endowmend December 15 1845 in the Nauvoo Temple. He was ordained a High Priest by Hyrum Smith in Nauvoo on 29 May 1841 and was received into the High Priest Quorum of Nauvoo on 3 Mar 1844. He was enrolled in the High Priest Quorum in Salt Lake City on 23 April 1848. This is a story from Joanna Price Fullmer, daughter of John S. Fullmer and Mary Ann Price Fullmer (botn 1839): My parents came to Nauvoo, Illinois in 1840 to embrace the Gospel. I was named and blessed by the Prophet Joseph Smith who often came to our house. My Father’s sister, Desdemona Wadsworth Fullmer (1809-1886) was a wife of Brother Joseph. I can remember him well as he often took me on his knee and played with me, as he had no little girl of his own. Martyrdom of the Prophet John was a close friend of the Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith (1805-1844) and was with him at Carthage Illinois in late June 1844. At this time John was involved with Mormon Pioneer, Colonel in Nauvoo Legion, Leader of Spartan Band of Nauvoo. When the Prophet Joseph and his brother, Hyrum Smith (1800-1844), were taken to Carthage, Illinois for trial, the Justice of the Peace by the name of Robert F. Smith set the bail at such a high figure that he didn’t think it could be raised. However, John S. Fullmer and others came forward and raised the amount, some of them pledging their homes as security. He was one of five men to spend the night before the martyrdom at the Carthage Jail with the two prisoners, Joseph and Hyrum. While there he was an eyewitness to the massive mob of nearly 1200 men that had gathered there already that were chanting numerous death threats at their group. Being a military officer he left his gun with them. Both Hyrum and Joseph used the gun to defend themselves later that day when the mob stormed the jail. At sometime on the fateful day of 27 Jun 1844, he was dispatched from the jail, probably on an errand to obtain legal assistance or witnesses for the pending trail for Joseph and Hyrum. Nauvoo Properties Trustee John was a Clerk to Joseph Smith in 1840 and in 1846 was a member of the Spartan Band. He was appointed to the committee to dispose of the properties of the Saints in Nauvoo. He served with Joseph L. Haywood and Almon W. Babbitt these three men were appointed by Brigham Young to look after the interests of the Church in Nauvoo after the departure of the main group in the early spring of 1846. They were authorized to dispose of property, including the Temple as best they could. He was a member in the Nauvoo Legion. He served as the Paymaster. From his daughter Johanna: We had been living on the farm 4 miles out of the city but soon moved into Nauvoo. I remember the Nauvoo Battle. I was in such fear for my father. He supported Major Anderson as he fell mortally wounded and received his sword. I can remember when the Saints fled across the Mississippi River on the ice in the winter of 1846 and my father would have gone with them but Brother Brigham Young appointed him and 2 others as Trustees to take care of the Temple and other property as well as the poor. We all suffered many indignities from the mob and were many times fearful for our lives. They came one day while father was absent and they took possession of Major Anderson’s sword, howling like so many fiends and carried it away with them. Winter Quarters In the fall of 1847 my father went to Winter Quarters to see part of his family that he had sent out there for safety and on his return brought Sister Annie Laura Kimball, one of Heber Kimball’s wives, back with him as my mother’s health was very poor and being Mormons we could get no help in Nauvoo. In accordance with a requirement of the mob that we must leave in the spring or lose our lives, father made all preparations and we started on the 5th day of May for Winter Quarters by only stayed there 2 weeks. We found Brother Willard Richards making up a company so we took up our line of March. To upper California, Oh, that’s the land for me was our Battle Cry for Freedom sung nearly every night around the campfire and we were the happiest people in the world fleeing from our oppressors to the tops of the mountains were we would be free. 1848 Overland Wagon Company Brother Willard Richards was Captain of the Company and my father was Captain of 10 and as he had two other teams to drive, Sister Annie Kimball riding in one wagon with my sister and myself we each in turn drove the ox team all the way to the Salt Lake Valley. We arrived the 9th day of October 1848 being just 5 months on the Plains. The family John Solomon Fullmer went to Winter Quarters to check on was his 2nd wife, Olive Amanda Smith Cook Fullmer. With he son Chauncey Harvey Cook, born of her 1st marriage. Her daughter, Mary Ann Fullmer was born 25 Oct 1846 in what John S. Fullmer called the Bluffs. John and his family were in the first company in the third division of Willard Richards Company. They reached the Salt Lake Valley 10 of Oct 1848 and the main part of the company arrived October 19 1848. John had with him his father and mother, two brothers and their wives and families, his two wives and their children and his sister Desdemona. 1852 English Mission In 1852 John went on a mission to England. He and his companions crossed the plains going East in a wagon and slept on the ground under the wagon for protection from the elements. He visited his sisters Charlotte and Elizabeth in Iowa on his way to the mission field. Marriage & Family Having a sister that married the Mormon Prophet as a plural wife influenced David to take a plural wife as early at 1846 and another in 1856. Marriage #1: Price His first marriage was in Nashville TN to Mary Ann Price in 1836. Just shortly before they would join the Mormon church and move to Nauvoo. He married Mary Ann Price May 24 1837. They were sealed in the Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois Temple February 15 1846 and had 8 children. Marriage #2: Smith Married Olive Amanda Smith-Markham in 1846. Olive and her son Chauncey Harvey Cook were abandoned by her first husband, Milton Cook, shortly after she joined the Mormon Church. When she married David, he adopted Chauncey as one of his own sons and is identified so in many records. He married Olive Amanda Smith and were sealed in the Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois Temple January 21 1846, and had 11 children: Chauncey Harvey born November 26 1842 or 1843 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois; # Chauncy Harvey Cook (1843-1923) - Great grandfather of LDS General Authority Gene R. Cook. # Mary Ann born October 25 1846 in Florence, Douglas, Nebraska; # James Dickens April 30 1849 in Salt Lake City, Utah; # Joseph Leland Heywood born November 25 1850 in Davis County, Utah; # Albert Heber born September 16 1852 in Centerville, Davis, Utah; # Olive Amanda born September 15 1856 in Provo, Utah, Utah; # Van Osden born May 26 1858 in Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah; # Edwin born March 13 1860 in Provo, Utah, Utah; # Alonzo Smith March 17 1862 in Provo, Utah, Utah; # Alma L. born September 20 1864 in Springville, Utah, Utah; # Charlotte Julia born April 3 1867 in Springville, Utah, Utah. Marriage #3: Stevenson Married Sarah Ann Stevenson (1835-1901) in 1856 - Salt Lake City UT and they had 12 children. They were sealed on October 12 1856 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah. Vital Records In the census records of 1850, John had a household of 14 and a real wealth of $200. In the 1860 census He had a household of 37, a real wealth of $850, and a personal wealth of $900. John held many Church offices and was a member of the early legislature and its various committees. He died October 8 1883 in Springville, Utah, Utah. 1848 Richards Wagon Company 526 individuals were in the company when it began its journey from the outfitting post at Winter Quarters, Nebraska. This company was divided into two sections led by two LDS Church apostles, Willard Richards section and Amasa Lyman Section. The Lyman section left the outfitting post on 1 July and the Richards section left on 3 July. They reached the Salt Lake Valley in Oct 1848. Peter and his wife were a pair of the oldest people to complete the overland track. * Fullmer, Ann Adelaide 6 25 October 1841 10 April 1899 * Fullmer, Chauncey Harvey 5 26 November 1842 27 June 1923 * Fullmer, David 44 7 July 1803 21 October 1879 * Fullmer, Desdemona Wadsworth 39 6 October 1809 9 February 1886 * Fullmer, Francis Bates 4 19 May 1844 7 November 1853 * Fullmer, Johanna Price 8 13 December 1839 15 November 1915 * Fullmer, John Solomon 40 21 July 1807 8 October 1883 * Fullmer, John Solomon, Jr. 2 12 April 1846 13 July 1898 * Fullmer, Lavina Elizabeth 10 5 March 1838 21 July 1907 * Fullmer, Mary Ann 2 25 October 1846 15 March 1925 * Fullmer, Mary Ann Price 32 16 September 1815 29 November 1897 * Fullmer, Olive Amanda Smith 22 18 September 1825 17 March 1885 * Fullmer, Peter 74 27 February 1774 6 January 1857 * Fullmer, Susannah Zerfass 74 17 September 1773 11 November 1856 References * John S Fullmer - Wikipedia * The Assassination of Joseph and Hyrum - Book written in 1855 by John S Fuller, eyewitness to the martyrdom of the Mormon Prophet. * Peter Fullmer Immigrant Ancestors